Wave-motor.



A. S. CLOSE.

WAVE MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY12, 1918.

Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

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- APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1913. 1,090,277, Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

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WAVE MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1913.

Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

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"UN 1T FFTCE.

ALBERT S. CLOSE, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNITED STATES WAVE POWER COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

WAVE-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

Application filed May 12, 1913. Serial No. 767,091.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that. I, Annual S. CLosa,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident v of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio. have invented a certain new and useful Wave-Motor; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to wave motors and particularly to those of the float type, but is not restricted to such use as it may be used in any connection for which it may be.

adapted or appropriate.

The object of my invention is the provision of certain improvements in motors of this character whereby to materially enhance the efficiency, practicability and commercial value thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the same.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,--

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a power unit of my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged side and top plan views of the rotatably mounted universally movable float guide suspending head and associated parts, with parts broken away. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the walking beam feature of the invention with the associated mounting parts, and Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged details of one side of a clutch wheel for use in connection with the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, 1, 1 designate spaced horizontal beams, which are stationarily supported by a frame-work or platform 2, which is firmly mounted in any suitable manner above the water, the waves of which are to be utilized in actuating the motor.

Standards 3 of any suitable form, which, in the present instance, are shown as being four in number, rise from and. connect the beams 1 and provide bearings for the drive shaft 4 and line or power shaft 5, which shafts are geared together by gears 6, or may be connected in any other suitable manner.

A bed-plate 7 of annular or ring form is mounted on and connects the beams 1 at a point intermediate the outer bearing standards 3, 3 and supports a bearing ring or member 8, which is mounted for free rotary movements on said plate, being retained in rotatable contact therewith iii any suitable manner. as by retaining clips 9, which are secured to the bed-plate and overlap an edge flange of the member 8, as best shown in Fig. 3.

A pendulum carrying ring or member 10 has trunnions 11 projecting from opposite sides thereof and join-nailing in suitable bearmgs 12 in the bearing member 8 to permit the member 10 to have vertical rocking movements relative to the member 8. l

The pendulum of my apparatus. which comprises, in the present instance, the two parallel bars '13, provided at its upper end with a cross-head 1 1: the opposite ends of which are prtwided with trunnions that are journaled in suitable bearings 15 in the member 10 with the axis thereof at right angles to the axis of the trunnions 11 thus providing a universal joint connection botwcen the pendulum head and the bearing member 8, and also enabling them to have free turning movements about a vertical axis by reason of the turning action of the bearing member 8 relative to the bed-plate.

The pendulum 18 carries a buoy 1G for vertical reciprocatory movements thereon, as is common in apparatus of this character, such buoy being of any suitable or convenient construction and reciprocally mounted on the pendulum bars in any suitable manner, as is well understood in the art. As the construction of the buov and manner of mounting it on the pendulum form no part of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will not be iven.

In order to utilize the reciprocatory move ment of the buoy 16 relative to the pendulum 13 to drive the power shaft 5 a cable, chain or other suitable pliant member 17 extends upward from the central portion of the buoy 16 through the universal oint members 8 and 10 and opening 18 in the crosshead 14, and thence passes over a ratchet or ably looped one or more times around the wheel 19 to reduce the liability of a relative slipping of said pliant member and wheel when the member is reciprocated. The free end of the draft member 17 hangs loosely from the wheel 19 and is weighted, as shown at 20. A pliant draft member 21 similar to the member 17 is attached at one end to the lower central portion of the buoy 16, thence passes around a sheave 22, which is carried at the lower end of the pendulum 13, after which the draft member passes upward through one of the bars of the pendulum and over a ratchet or clutch-wheel 23 on the shaft 4, around which it is preferably looped, and then has its free end hanging from such wheel and weighted, as indicated at 24.

The ratchet or clutch-wheels 19 and 23 are adapted to turn freely on the shaft in one direction of rotation and to clutch the same in the opposite direction of rotation, and may be of any suitable construction for such purpose, as, for instance, of the ballclutch type, as indicated in detail in Figs. 5 and 6. The clutchwheels, in the present instance, are adapted to clutch and drive the shaft 4 upon a downward pull of either drive member 1721, which movement is imparted to such drive members by reciprocatory movements of the buoy 16, a downward movement of the same imparting a downward pull on the member 17 and an upward movement of the same imparti g a downward pull on the portion of the member 21 which passes up through one of the pendulum bars and over the clutch-wheel. The weights 20 and 24 are sufiicient to maintain the draft members taut when in operation.

In order to utilize the swinging or oscillatory movements of the pendulum 13 as well as the reciprocatory movements of the buoy 16 relative thereto to communicate a driving rotation to the shaft 4, the head 14 of the pendulum has a walkingbeam or cross-arm 25 attached thereto for swinging movements therewith, as best shown in Fig. 1. This walking-beam extends in opposite directions from the pendulum head, and attached to each end thereof is a cable or other suitable pliant draft member 26, which extends upward from the respective end and over an associated ratchet or clutch-wheel 27 on the shaft 4, around which it is preferably looped, if the clutch-wheel be of the smooth pulley type as distinguished from a sprocketwheel, and thence extends downward from the pulley, and, in the present instance, around a subjacent sheave 28 and upward therefrom with its end attached to the walking beam end, as shown in Fig. l. The clutch-wheels 27 are intended to have clutch engagement with the shaft 4 in the same direction of engagement as the wheels 19 and 23 therewith, and a shaft driving rota- 'tion is communicated to each upon the downstroke of the respective cross-arm end, thus causing a driving lmpulse to be communicated to the shaft 4 in any direction of to any direction of movement of the waves relative to the apparatus, which feature is found to be quite important in the practical and efficient operation of an apparatus of this character.

2 I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction or arrangement of the parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a pendulum mounted for horizontal turning and swinging movements, a buoy carried by the pendulum for reciprocatory movements longitudinally thereof, and means for converting both the swinging and vertical reciprocatory movements of the buoy into a continuous rotary movement.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame, a bearing member carried by the frame for horizontal turning movements relative thereto, a pendulum suspended from said member for universal swinging movements relative thereto and for turning movements therewith, a buoy carried by the pendulum for vertical reciprocatory movements relative thereto, and means for converting the reciprocatory movements of the buoy and the swinging movements of the pendulum into a continuous rotary movement.

'3. In an apparatus of the class described, a pendulum mounted for swinging movements, a walking-beam carried by said pendulum, a shaft, and separate means connecting opposite ends of the walking-beam with said shaft and alternately operable upon a swinging of the pendulum to impart rotary movements in one direction of the shaft.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a shaft, a'T-pendulum pivotally mounted adjacent to its head for swinging movements and having the opposite ends of its head connected with said shaft for imparting continuous rotary movements thereto in one direction when the pendulum is swung.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame, a shaft, a pendulum mounted for the pendulum to impart a continuous rotary 10 movement in one direction to the shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT S. CLOSE. Witnesses C. l/V. OWEN, E. E. THOMAS.

Gopioa of this patent may be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

